Ryerson Art+Design Magazine (RADmag) was born out of a vision to create a medium of celebration, inspiration, and collaboration — to celebrate and showcase the work of students in Photography, Fashion, and Interior Design, to provide an outlet to inspire one another and the world at large, and aid in connecting students in these related visual disciplines.

Julia: Immediately after finishing school last May my thesis film Call It Blue was at the end of it’s festival run. I travelled to the Brussels Film Festival and screened it which was a great experience filled with a lot of cheese. Since I’ve been back I’ve created Under Green Waves. It’s a film I’ve been thinking about for a few years, but has gone from an idea to finished piece in the past couple months.

Julia Hendrickson, Under Green Waves, Film Still, 2016.

Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival celebrated it’s 20th anniversary this year, exhibiting both admired and emerging photographers from around the world. This year I had the privilege of seeing the work of Julia Hendrickson (friend, Ryerson graduate, and photographer on the rise), as she displayed her film Under Green Waves. The film beautifully captures Susan Green (dancer and mother of Hendrickson), as she restages a dance she performed years ago. Toying with ideas of invisibility and repetition, Julia Hendrickson contrasts the new and the old to create a lingering narrative. Sounds cheesy I know… but if I close my eyes I can still hear the sound of her feet sweeping across the floor. Or the sounds her hands made when they opened and closed. These little things allowed for her story to be told and retold in a new and astonishing way.

RADmag: Tell me the story of how you came up with Under Green Waves.

Julia: I’m interested in exploring how nothing can be repeated, the originality of every moment. We can create documentations of experiences or performances but there’s always something missing. The same dance can’t be performed twice.

Julia Hendrickson, Under Green Waves, Film Still, 2016.

There’s something to be said about good curation - Julia Hendrickson did just that. Upon entering the exhibit I was welcomed into a small dark room, which displayed the three panel film installation. Organized in a semicircle, my eyes were guided from screen to screen. The clever positioning transformed what could have been - dare I say claustrophobic - into something tranquil and comforting. Matched with a soothing narration, Hendrickson skillfully created a home - fixed with lighting, acoustics and a structure that perfectly suited Under Green Waves. It was a truly breathtaking night!

Julia Hendrickson, Under Green Waves, Film Still, 2016.

Julia Hendrickson, Under Green Waves, Film Still, 2016.

RADmag: How did you feel when you found out your film got into Contact?

Julia: :)

RADmag: Do you have any future plans for Under Green Waves? Or are you going to start on a new project?

Julia: Both! I’ve begun applying to a variety of festivals and galleries with Under Green Waves. It’s an exciting part of the project, I can take a step back from creating and see where the project can exist in the world.

I’m also beginning to work on my next film which is taking me into a whole new musical world of phonographs and looping pedals. I’m excited. I plan on shooting the images for the film in August.

RADmag: What has been the best part of this experience?

Julia: It’s hard to put my finger on the best part, there have been so many incredible moments, from working with my mother, the village of people supporting me throughout the whole process...

Julia Hendrickson, Under Green Waves, Film Still, 2016.

Be sure to check out Julia’s next exhibit, As She, Rehearses Disappearance which will be shown at the Ryerson Image Centre in July! Stay tuned for details and coverage!